


spend it with those who matter most

by grootmorning



Category: The Gifted (TV 2017), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Drabble, F/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Romance, two Marines and their girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-24 00:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13201629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grootmorning/pseuds/grootmorning
Summary: AU. Karen and Clarice share a drink and spend New Year's together, waiting for their soldiers to come home.





	spend it with those who matter most

Their bottles clinked together, and the two girls smiled at each other over the beers they were sharing. Karen settled back into the couch, peering curiously out of Clarice's living room window. People were gathered together on the street, smiling, laughing, spreading goodwill to all mankind.

It was nice, but it was also nice that they were toasty warm inside, curled up by a fireplace.

And possibly slightly drunk already.

It wasn't in their plans for tonight really. But when they'd received the news that their Marines weren't going to make it home in time for the New Year's, Karen had showed up at Clarice's door with a case of beer, looking for some company.

New Year's Eve shouldn't be spent alone.

That was four hours ago. They'd danced to the Beatles as they'd prepared dinner, Clarice using her spatula as her makeshift microphone and Karen trying not to topple the oven baked fish that they'd just made. 

Karen reached over with her sock clad foot, nudging at Clarice's thigh. Clarice looked up distractedly from  _Bridget Jones' Diary_. "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I have you."

Clarice grinned, patting her legs, "Bet you're happy I spilt tequila on you that day, huh?"

That was a good memory, Karen laughed fondly before disagreeing. "You met John that day because you spilt tequila on me, I'd say you're the happy one."

Clarice raised her bottle to Karen, toasting her. "That's true. Although, I still am sorry that I spilt those shots on you. Mostly because it was a waste of tequila. And second, because I still think about how scary Frank looked when I did so, and I do not want to see that again."

"What was it? The division coming home in 2016? 2015?"

"2016," Clarice popped a grape into her mouth, chewing slowly. "I remember, 'cause I was at the bar because I had gotten hired at the kids centre, I was celebrating with friends."

Karen remembered having Frank's arm warm around her back across her chair, smiling as she listened to his men tell ridiculous stories about him. 

"That one is not true. Don't listen to him, Karen," he'd pressed a kiss to her temple. She'd patted his cheek soothingly.

"Oh it's true, ma'am. The Lieutenant here went charging headfirst into the command tent to yell at whoever was inside to call off the mission based on the bomb threat he found, and there you have, four of us, running after him screaming like fans at a concert, trying to tell him that the unmarked package was our surprise gift to him for his birthday!" 

Karen had erupted into laughter again, her body shaking, and she let a hand fall onto his knee, squeezing it. 

Frank must have been embarrassed but the way that he'd looked at Karen, smiling at her like she had a fucking halo on, and she'd thought, wow I really love him. Mid-thought, Frank had tugged her closer, kissing her hard, before picking up a handful of nuts from the table, flinging it at his men as they catcalled and whistled.

She shook herself out of the memory. It wouldn't do to reminisce too much for fear of sinking too far under the sadness. "John was the one who got up to help you after I went to the bathroom to clean up, wasn't he? That's how you guys met."

"He offered to buy me drinks to replace the ones that were on the floor, that cheeseball. And he tried to save me and steer me away from Frank, so I liked him for that," the two girls went off into giggles at the thought. 

"Was he really that scary?"

"Oh he was, he was half out of his chair ready to kick my ass for spilling drinks on his girl."

"It was really okay though," Karen smiled into her glass. "Half the reason why I ran off so quickly to get my things clean was so the boys wouldn't make a fuss. If Frank made a fuss, they would too."

"I think the tequila shot you ordered at the next homecoming to spill into my lap more than made up for it," Clarice scrunched up her nose at the thought, before they went off into peals of laughter again. After that, the two girls had been fast friends. It always helped to have a friend to call when they're lonely.

It must have been the beer, as well as the fact that they were trying hard to distract themselves. But Karen thought this was the most fun she'd had in ages.

"Good times," Clarice raised her bottle to the air again, toasting something that Karen couldn't see. She snorted, throwing a pillow at Clarice, mentally cheering when she received a loud 'oof' in response.

"What do you think they're up to right now?" Karen sighed after a moment, unable to help herself.

"Babe, I thought we agreed not to think about that," Clarice set her drink down, fixing her with a stern stare.

It wasn't easy spending holidays without their other half. When they had gotten the news that their soldiers were going to be delayed due to bad weather conditions affecting flights, it was an unspoken agreement that they would be spending the night together. No one should have to be alone on New Year's, and who better to understand than someone else in the exact same situation.

Karen had packed a small bag, and turned up on Clarice's doorstep within an hour.

To be honest, it wasn't the first time Karen had gone through this. Maybe the first for Clarice, but if she'd asked, Karen would tell her to be prepared that it wasn't going to be the last.

It wouldn't be right to complain. Frank and John were serving the country. It was something to be proud of. And they were. They were always proud of their soldiers.

Not that it helped ease the ache in her chest. Karen closed her eyes and took a large sip of her beer. At least she had Clarice this year.

Clarice sat closer to her on the couch, pulling her into a warm hug, sharing their mutual pain and sadness. They sat like that for awhile, staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace, silent but offering comfort to each other.

A light knock on the door shook them out of their musings, startling them both. Who would come visit at a time like this?

Clarice was making to stand up, but Karen's hand was already reaching towards her purse. Bad habits die hard. And she wasn't about to get killed in a home invasion on New Year's Eve.

The knob was turning. Someone was unlocking the door. Someone with a key?

Clarice gasped.

John grinned at her, wide and happy. The keys were dropped into the bowl by the door, clinking as they went. The large duffle bag slung across his bag was unfastened and dropped with a loud thump. Snow still dusted the top of his military issued boots and across his longish hair that was rakishly askew across his forehead.

"Hey, baby."

Was it odd that her first thought was that he needed a haircut? Clarice took one small step, and another, and another, until she was right in front of him. Her hand reached out, trembling, to touch him, unable to believe that he was here. She pressed shaking fingers to his leather jacket, as if making sure that he was real, before moving up to touch his face. Warm and real. With a small hiccup, she fell into his arms, her own snaking around his waist to squeeze him tight. 

John reached his own arms around her to cradle her close to him, a hand going up to grip at the deep purple strands of her hair, pressing her face into his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he breathed out all the stress of the flight and the unnecessary delays that had the whole division muttering curses on the plane. He was tired, he was hungry, and he was pretty sure he didn't smell good. But in the end, it was all worth it, to have her in his arms just a few moments sooner than expected.

The pleasant smell of her flowery shampoo, in comparison to his own that smelled like the insides of an airplane, had him breathing in deeply again, his arms tightening again on Clarice's lithe form. Clarice would disagree, he smelt like John. Her John.

Almost as if in the distance, John heard a door slamming and he blinked, releasing her momentarily. It was odd really, how he'd often lost track of time while holding and kissing Clarice. She was his undoing.

"It's Karen," Clarice said shakily, pulling back to look up at him. "She shouldn't be walking by herself this late at night, John, I - "

He shushed her, pulling his phone out and sending a quick text. "It's taken care of."

"I know she can take care of herself and she's got her gun but I - "

"I texted Frank."

"But - "

He cut her off by capturing her lips with his, smiling gently as her eyes fluttered shut at his touch. John wasn't too worried, he knew Frank would take care of Karen. What was more important now, was this. Clarice's small hands came up to grab at the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down closer to her with a small whimper. Realising that they were still standing in the foyer, John walked them into the living room. He didn't even need to open his eyes for it. This was their apartment, and he knew it like the back of his hand. Falling into his favourite armchair, John kept his grip tight on Clarice so she tumbled down with him with a gasp, pressing into his kiss further even as she shifted in his lap. 

Clarice broke the kiss, staring at John like she hadn't seen him in years, when in reality it was only about five months. Who was John to complain really? He was probably doing the same.

She spent the next few minutes pressing light fingers into his neck, into the sweater over his chest, over his face, tracing and mapping paths only she could see into his skin. John was content to let her do so. The warmth from her fingers spread through him, racing up his veins like liquid fire, as it always did from her touch. The urge to touch her was too strong. Threading his fingers into her hair repeatedly, stroking thumbs across her cheeks and pressing light kisses to her temple, John was just happy to be home.

The distant sound of fireworks startled them and John had jumped a little, residual memories from deployment rattling through him. As they always did when he first got home. He only settled again when Clarice wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face into his warm neck, near when his pulse was. She loved doing this, proof that he was here with her. 

"Happy New Year," she whispered, reaching up and kissing him with small open-mouthed kisses.

He responded by cuddling her close, pressing his cheek to the top of her hair. 

John was home.

-

The moment Karen saw John, she knew. 

She knew.

If John was home, that meant that Frank was home too. So she'd grabbed her things and dashed out of Clarice's apartment without so much as a goodbye. All that mattered was getting to Frank.

Her apartment was only a few blocks away. With all the traffic and people out in the streets, it was faster to walk, or run. In Karen's case, she was running.

To have Frank home, with her, when an hour ago she'd resigned herself to not seeing him for another day or so, was incredible. She wasn't waiting another second.

Karen gasped as her boot heel caught on something not one block away from home and she wobbled, tripping over herself. Catching herself before she hit the ground, Karen leaned over to brace her hands on her knees, struggling to even her breathing. She was so close. The few beers that she'd had probably didn't help.

A warm hand landed on her back, and she was up, flailing and ready to give whoever it was a punch in the face.

She'd only barely missed hitting Frank in the nose.

"Now that's a welcome home," Frank grinned, reaching to steady her with a large hand.

"Frank," she breathed out. "You're here." She almost couldn't believe it. Seeing John come home was one thing, but looking at Frank? Guess that's why people always said, seeing was believing.

"John texted me that you ran out of Clarice's place. They were worried about you."

She framed his face with her hands, unable to stop herself from shaking. Whether it was the cold, or nervous energy, Karen didn't even know anymore, "Stop talking about our friends right now."

"Okay," Frank smiled wolfishly before hauling her closer with the arm around her waist, placing his free hand on her jaw. He angled their lips together, impatient and needy. Their kiss was hungry, borne out of months of being apart. Karen lost herself in the feeling of Frank's warm mouth, and the familiar touch of his skin. Belatedly, she realised that Frank was dipping her, with his strong arms keeping her balanced, and she gripped onto his arms to pull him closer. The kittenish licks to her palate made her moan, and she knew he was grinning again, always pleased that he made her feel this way.

It wasn't enough. It was never enough. 

Karen realised that she was crying after Frank pulled away to press light kisses to her eyes, brushing away the tears. She let him slowly pull her upright again, leaning their foreheads together as their breaths mingled in the cold air. He was here.

His lips left scorching marks across her skin, her neck, and she clutched him closer, wrapping her arms around his neck to anchor herself.

"Karen," the love that suffused the single word had Karen trembling again, burying her face into Frank's coat.

The coat. She tried to speak but her soft voice was muffled by the material, "You're wearing the coat."

Frank laughed, feeling lighter than he had in ages, "You bought it for me, of course I'm wearing it. It's as cold as balls out here and I grabbed it when I came out to look for you."

She sniffled. The coat was a long dark leather thing, that she'd bought for him over the recent Christmas sale. She'd shown it to him over their irregular Skype calls, and he had promised to wear it when he next took her out. The tears filled her eyes again. He'd remembered.

"Also the length means I can do this," Frank opened up the coat to wrap her up in it, pulling her flush against his front. She stumbled a little into him, still heady from the alcohol. Or maybe it was his presence. Karen would probably go with the latter.

Karen was encircled in his warmth and they swayed on the spot, content to be in each other's presence. She placed a warm hand over his heart as the fireworks started, feeling it pick up and his slight shiver at the sound.

"Do you want to go home?" She whispered, knowing full well what the sounds did to soldiers.

"Maybe later, but not now," Frank shook his head. "No, I want to be out here, spending time with you."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They swayed a little more.

And if Karen's cheeks heated up because of Frank's murmured promises of what he would do to her later that night, or if Frank's small choked sound at Karen plastering herself to his front, chest to groin was just a little too loud, who cared?

-

Clarice slapped at the bedside table, trying to find her phone and its incessant ringing. Where was it? Finally grabbing onto the offending thing, she put it to her ear and grumbled, "What?"

"Hey, babe."

"Karen," she pushed her hair out of her eyes, rising up onto her elbows. It was, she glanced at the clock, nine in the morning. Why was she calling. "Hey, what's up? Are you okay?" 

Behind her, John rolled over in their bed, draping a heavy arm across her bare back. The sudden increase in warmth made her skin tingle. So did the low growl in his chest. He groaned, pressing his face to her shoulder, "It's too early," he mumbled into her skin, his lips raising goosebumps where he touched her. "I'm supposed to be on vacation."

She pushed at him, which did nothing but distract her when the sheets slipped and more of his bare chest was revealed.

"No, I just wanted to tell you Happy New Year. And I'm glad that we didn't spend it together this year."

The smile Clarice could hear in her voice was contagious, and she found the corners of her lips turning up to. it didn't help that John was trying to roll her back over to grab at the phone. She swatted at him indignantly. 

"Me too, babe."

 _"_ Who's that?" She heard a low voice rumble in the background. 

"Just Clarice, I'm wishing her a Happy New Year."

"I'm naked in your bed and you're calling other people to wish them Happy New Year? Gimme that phone. Gimme, _Karen_ , hand it over before I make you."

There was a bit of scuffling before she heard Frank's voice, loud and clear. "Hey Clarice, pass the phone to John, will ya?"

"Happy New Year, Frank," Clarice grinned before chucking it onto John, who grunted. 

"Lieutenant?"

"What I need you to do now, is take your girlfriend's phone, and throw it into the bathroom for the next half a day, got it? I don't want to hear from you or Clarice again until it's the second week of January."

He could hear Karen swatting at Frank, and lots of giggling in the background. There was probably some kissing and touching that he really didn't want to hear again.

Although, with a barely dressed Clarice in his arms, blinking large green eyes up at him, John could honestly share his sentiments.

"Yes, sir."

He threw the phone onto the floor, grabbed Clarice by the waist, and pulled her under the covers again. 

**Author's Note:**

> it started with a tweet, how did it end up like this? TL;DR, i thought about how my headcanons about soldiers and their girls can both apply to kastle and thunderblink and someone said, hey, what about a fic with the both of them?
> 
> tumblr: [here](http://ltfrankcastle.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [here](http://twitter.com/ltfrankcastie)


End file.
